Asheville volunteers help Rescue Mission get back on schedule’

A Baptist Men’s Group from Asheville came to Shelby last week to hang drywall at the new Cleveland County Rescue Mission on Buffalo Street.

Jackie Bridges / Staff Writer

A Baptist Men’s Group from Asheville came to Shelby last week to hang drywall at the new Cleveland County Rescue Mission on Buffalo Street.

And while their volunteer labor was necessary and appreciated, the men didn’t come because they wanted to work.

“The reason we are here is because of the love of Christ, and to try and spread that love to the community,” said Gary Roberts, a member of Woodland Hills Baptist Church.

Since 2005, the construction team from Woodland Hills has made 30 trips to share their skills and faith with people in need. They have helped clean up and rebuild after hurricanes, tornados and ice storms in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, West Virginia and Kentucky.

The group includes professional drywall installers with more than 30 years experience and two general contractors, Roberts said.

“Most have regular jobs and they took time off from their own jobs to come,” he said. “Our last trip we made to New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy. We were more out in the community and we had 37 people pray to accept Christ. We are not able to witness here, but we know what will be done here when we are finished.”

The work by the Asheville group has helped put construction at the Rescue Mission back on schedule, Dr. Jess Powell, chairman of the mission’s board, said.

“We want to thank the group from Asheville,” he said. “It’s been a combination of donations and volunteer labor to get us back on schedule. The building is more than half done. This is the time for the community to step up and be generous to get the building done.”

Michael Holdcraft of the Asheville group said people don’t have to have construction skills to help with the project.

“I spent 30 years in the military,” he said. “I’m the step-and-fetch-it guy. They send me to go get things. People can help with moving stuff around.”

He said the only requirement is to be a willing volunteer. On every trip he has been on with the Asheville Baptist Men’s Group, everyone who volunteered had a place.

“When we get to where we are going, we have men that match the job,” he said. “I get more out of this than I give, and when I get home, I feel better about the world and about myself.”

Want to help?

- Construction: Individuals or groups are needed to help complete the construction of the Cleveland County Rescue Mission. To volunteer, call David Brown, coordinator of the North Carolina Baptist Men’s Shelby Mission Camp, 704-487-5599, 919-422-9990 or dbrow@ncbaptist.org.

- Other donations: Donate money to the Cleveland County Rescue Mission to help them provide meals and shelter for the homeless, and to help them finish their new building. You can donate at clevelandcountyrescuemission.org or by calling 704-481-1889. You may also mail donations to CCRM, P.O. Box 1272, Shelby, NC 28151.